By Giselle Greenwood
They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and when it comes to Houston homes, the saying holds true.
Houston has the second-largest homes in the nation, according to financial website 24/7 Wall St.
By Giselle Greenwood
They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and when it comes to Houston homes, the saying holds true.
Houston has the second-largest homes in the nation, according to financial website 24/7 Wall St.
By Nicholas Sakelaris
A decade from now, high-speed rail could be as commonplace in Texas as interstates and air travel.
Commuters will hop on a 205-mph bullet train in downtown Dallas and find themselves in downtown Houston 90 minutes later. Trains could make 68 trips a day between the two cities.
By Erin Mulvaney
The Texas Building Owners and Managers Association say “unpredictable and uncontrolled” increases in property values put significant burdens on the state’s businesses and could lead to many leaving Houston to avoid the appraisals.
The group has launched a statewide initiative “Taxed out of Town” to push for appraisal reform, according to a recent statement from the advocacy organization, which represents commercial properties in Texas.
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By Barbara Kuntz
Houston reigns as the king of the United States real estate scene for modest flips during 2014.
That comes from a special report issued by real estate website Redfin defining the “Hottest Homes” of the year. Phoenix was the only other city included in the top flipper category.
By Paul Takahashi
Houston has one of the most overvalued housing markets in the country, according to a national financial rating agency.
Home prices in the Bayou City are 19 percent overvalued — the second-highest in the nation after Austin — according to Fitch Ratings’ fourth quarter Sustainable Home Price report. Fitch measured how far current home prices have deviated from the historical norm, looking at data such as household income, unemployment rates, population growth, mortgage rates and rental prices.
By Bridget Balch
The Woodlands Township Board of Directors voted Dec. 11 to officially merge with the Lake Woodlands Property Owners Association, taking over the Ground Lease of the lake.
The township has been reimbursing the LWPOA for costs associated with the lake since 2011.
By Ralph Bivens
Don’t write off the Houston economy just yet.
Demonstrating the healthiest hiring pattern in 33 years, Houston created 125,300 jobs in the last 12 months.
It was the strongest job growth for Houston since August 1981 when 127,700 jobs were added.
By Andrea V. Brambila
With backing from the National Association of Realtors and U.S. multiple listing services, the Canadian Real Estate Association has emerged victorious in a bidding war that drove up the price of owning and managing a new “.MLS” top-level domain to $3.36 million.
But for reasons that remain unclear, the price of NAR’s support in the fight is that, for now at least, U.S.-based MLSs will not be allowed to use the new domain to create public-facing website addresses like “chicago.mls” and market them to consumers as trusted websites, as originally planned.
By Matthew Costa
Members of the Montgomery County Hospital District board who won election during the Nov. 4 midterms were sworn into duty along with results of the At-Large Position 2 runoff being canvassed during Thursday’s meeting.
Chris Grice, Bob Bagley and Kenn Fawn each won their respective races, and were sworn in by County Court at Law 2 Judge Claudia Laird and Montgomery County Judge Alan B. Sadler.
By Jordan Blum
While the Texas shale boom is ongoing, falling crude oil prices could hit the Texas state budget right where it hurts next year.
Although the budget is more diversified than it has been, a large chunk of it depends on revenue from oil and gas companies. Expect state budget debates to grow more intense over each dollar if crude oil prices remain low, legislative observers say.
By Patrick Svitek
Republican Gov.-elect Greg Abbott continued his post-election push for bipartisanship Thursday with the release of a Web video recapping meetings he has been having with legislators across the state.
In the 30-second spot, Abbott emphasizes a number of issues on his legislative agenda, including education. Abbott, the outgoing attorney general, frequently listed the issue as his top priority throughout his campaign for governor against Democrat Wendy Davis.
By Andy Warren
The Urban Land Institute has issued this 71-page final evaluation on options for the Astrodome.
By Katherine Driessen
City Council on Wednesday shelved the proposed expansion of a Midtown economic development zone into Montrose and the Museum District amid complaints that the plan was rushed and did not include key neighborhood groups.
By Cindy Horswell
For nearly a century, generations of Montgomery County men have walked under a striped metal awning and past a rotating barber’s pole to take a seat in well-worn green vinyl chairs to get a haircut.
By Mike Morris
A divided Houston City Council approved a tax break for Valero’s eastside refinery on Wednesday that officials say will help the facility expand, despite concerns from some community leaders that residents had many unanswered questions about the agreement.
The deal means Valero’s Manchester facility, the only refinery inside Houston city limits, will be considered outside the city boundaries for tax purposes. The rare move will let the energy giant pay lower fees than if it remained in the city and paid property taxes and, officials say, will ensure an $800 million expansion and the 25 permanent jobs that accompany it will happen here and not in Louisiana.
By Cindy Horswell
Spring Creek’s white sandy beaches are lined with trees, some dating back to the Akokisa Indians, along with a plethora of native plants. It’s a largely untouched haven with a diverse collection of wildlife.
But what makes this pristine ecosystem north of Houston especially rare is that it is located in the middle of an area that millions of people also call home – as it serves as the natural border between Harris and Montgomery counties, one of Texas’ fastest-growing regions.
Significantly lower oil prices represent “a sea change” in the Houston economy and will bring about a weaker commercial real estate market and an 11 percent decline in housing starts in 2015, according to economic commentary by Comerica Bank.
After creating about 120,000 jobs in 2014, Comerica projects that Houston will add about 82,000 new jobs in 2015.